With apologies to Trevor Immelman, Sunday’s Masters finish was devoid of any dramatic development. There were a few train wrecks here and there, but overall, by the time the final group made the turn, Immelman’s victory seemed all but inevitable.
This was no knock on Immelman, who did everything right as a front runner to secure his first major victory. He held his nerves together down the stretch and played cautiously as a man with a five-stroke lead should.
Sunday’s high winds were the No. 1 culprit. With the swirling gusts everywhere at Augusta National, it became extremely difficult to hit precise shots. Only Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Heath Slocum (69) managed to break 70 and only two others broke par.
Among them was not Tiger Woods, whose balky putter cost him any real shot at a fifth green jacket. When he holed out a long birdie putt on the 18th hole, his quick swipe of hand basically said: “Now you go in. Where were you before, chump?”
The putts that didn’t go down on 13th, 15th and 16th will roil Tiger for a while. But in truth, it probably wouldn’t have made that much of a difference. Immelman was rock solid all day, with a singular mistake on No. 16 when he hit his tee shot into the water. He appeared to be immune to the pressure of the moment, getting through Amen Corner at even par and, with the exception of 16, coasted home from there.
If Woods was too far back to make a charge, the other challengers simply collapsed. Brandt Snedeker, playing in his first Masters as a pro, was shaky all day. Paul Casey was never a factor and Steve Flesch, after holding his own on the front nine, blew up following a water ball on No. 12. By shooting par, Woods moved from fifth to solo second.
It was Tiger’s second straight second-place finish at the Masters, where his green jacket drought now reaches three years — matching the longest in his career from 1998-2000. And he has to be wondering why he’s having trouble closing the deal on one of his two favorite golf courses in the world.
As for the winner, Immelman won’t care if his victory was drama-free. He became the only 20-something player currently holding a major title. Whether this catapults him into major stardom, it remains to be seen.
But this much we know for sure now:
There won’t be a grand slam winner this year. And because of that, the biggest storyline of the year will have to be shelved until we meet again in Augusta.
